


Like All Flowers

by kirari_amiya



Series: Kirari's Overwatch Oneshots [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hanahaki Disease, Sort of highschool based?, possibly feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-09 04:35:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11661735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirari_amiya/pseuds/kirari_amiya
Summary: The survival rate for falling in love is less than 1%.The Hanahaki disease is not something that will let someone escape its clutches quite so easily and you never intended to fall in love with the reserved Hanzo Shimada.〔愛していることを忘れないでいて.〕





	Like All Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [candor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/candor/gifts).
  * Inspired by [blossom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11062107) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> my goal is to inflict feels  
> i hope there's feels 
> 
> i gift this to jupiter since i really enjoyed their genji one shot.
> 
> i was itching to post something. i hope this wasn't too rushed. yes, i tried to fit what could be in a short story chapter into one one-shot because i don't have the motivation to finish a whole work.
> 
> (10/09/17: i changed the title because it was a spoiler and added a bit to the ending)

* * *

<><><>

You said you wouldn't allow yourself to get it. That horrible, horrible disease which took the lives of many.

Hanahaki disease was something that had been taught in schools worldwide since the end of the medical crisis that wrecked havoc globally. Even those who had just started primary or grade schools were educated about such a disease. It was a worldwide compromise.

" 花吐き病 / Hanahaki Byou - Flower Vomitting Disease

Fatality rate without treatment: 99%  
Survival rate without treatment: 1%

Treatment options available; removal of the flowers (side effects: emotions will disappear. feelings will cease to exist). Treatment only applicable before the fourth stage.

Hanahaki Disease can be split into four stages:

Stage I) chest blooms  
You feel something awaken in your chest. It's a sensation which makes your chest feel fluttery, on fire and unstoppable.

Stage II) first petal  
You will cough out your very first petal. It will be painless, but it will be unbelievable. Your chances of surviving are drastically low.

Stage III) flower of despairity  
The first flower will be painfully coughed. It will not be pleasant. It will hurt your throat. It will trigger a gagging reflex. It will start hurting to breathe.

Stage IV) death's bouquets  
It will be very difficult to breathe. You chest will hurt physically and emotionally. It will be hard to think. A bouquet will form around your windpipes and you will try to cough it out. It will be too late for a procedure to remove the flowers from your lungs. You will die."

No one wanted any more casualties.

The disease was unfair. It was too fatal and nothing could cure it but the cost of one's emotions. It took the lives of so many people.

Because of the disease, humanity began fearing the concept of love. The word itself was regarded almost like a curse which could make an entire crowd hush into silence.

Love was feared.

The majority who had survived into adulthood had already undergone surgery to remove the vile flowers from their lungs. Nowadays, most of the adults are like empty husks of people who could never feel any strong emotions.

<><><>

Hanzo was the regal archer that you'd grown to admire from afar. He never really took an exceptional notice to you or anything like that, but he did however pique your interest. After all, he was the best archer in your high school's archery club.

No stalking habbits were involved. It was just straight up admiration from the moment you saw him gracefully pulls back the string of his bow, only to fling the arrow directly into the middle of the target. Over and over again.

You stared in awe as Hanzo succeeded to hit every target with pinpoint accuracy. You had never seen anything like it before. Your years of archery had, yes, improved your accuracy drastically. But you could never fire arrows in a quick succession with the same precision. You liked to take your time aiming and always wanted to make sure you had the right standing position.

You figured, with Hanzo in your school's archery club, your school club would win every competition.

But alas, he never had time to make it to any competitions due to being born into the hectic life of a Shimada. No one was brave enough to ask him to put aside his time for competitions, anyway.

One day, you discussed with him the small frustration you had with losing such a valueable club member during competition. Hanzo merely raised his eyebrow, walked towards you and proposed a solution so simple and easy-sounding.

_"Why don't I teach you what I have learned so that you can take my place?"_

Reluctantly, you nodded and agreed.

And that was when the trouble began.

Every afternoon he began teaching you. Adding on his knowledge and experience on top of yours. He was a firm and tough teacher, but he never pushed you past your breaking point. Past your limits, sure. He wanted to truly challenge you, but he never shouted or yelled at you.

Whenever you did something wrong, he would just stare and utter softly:

"Do it again."

No one ever really saw this side of Hanzo. Everyone just avoided him since being associated with the criminal Shimada clan usually meant bad news. Combined with that deadpan look that was always seen on his face, it was clear to see why he was all alone.

People were scared of him.

Who wouldn't be? This guy was the heir to one of the biggest criminal empires in Japan.

But you thought of him differently. You looked past his background and saw him truly for what he was. A kind, patient but strict, hardworking peer.

A fluttery feeling blossomed in your chest whenever you saw him. You felt as if your lungs were on fire whenever you dared think about him. Whenever you recalled on the days that had past where you spent them with him.

<><><>

It had been a two years since you had first met Hanzo. It was since last year where he had offered to teach you the style he used for his bow and how to improve your technique.

You felt sick. An itching, irritating feeling was crawling down your throat. It felt like something was there and you wanted to cough it out. And you did, you desperately did.

"(Y/n), are you okay?" Hanzo put his bow down next to him and ran towards you. "You should get a drink of water if you want to continue. I'll be waiting here for you."

Hanzo cared. Your heart skipped a beat.

"Y-Yeah! I'll be right back. I must've caught a cold or something," you nervously laughed, stepping outside the room and making your way to the kitchen sink.

You let loose another flurry of hacking and coughing. Something was definitely there, but you couldn't recall eating something that didn't agree with your stomach. You had just eaten your favourite food earlier so why was this happening to you? Even when you were filling a glass of water, you still hadn't stopped your coughing fit.

To your horror, you saw the petal of renge, the lotus flower, fall to the floor.

 _"I can't possible be..."_ You thought. _"There's no way I caught the illness..."_

You hurriedly gulped down your glass of water, almost denying that you had caught the disease. What if Hanzo found out that you had caught it? What would he think of you?

You reckoned you'd rather die than face his judgement of you catching the disease. You, of all people. Hanzo couldn't see you like this. That was one thing you knew. Perhaps the training had to be cut short, but this in itself was an emergency.

Picking yourself up temporarily, you made your way back into the practice room. You leaned on the doorframe, cleared your throat and faced Hanzo. "Hanzo, I'm sorry but... Can we cut this meeting short? There's an emergency and I need to leave right now."

You wanted to see the hint of a look of worry in Hanzo's eyes. But you saw none.

Hanzo simply nodded his head. "I understand. If you must leave, I would not object to you doing so."

You thanked Hanzo and ran off.

It wasn't child's play. The disease was something that already took the lives of many. And despite the youth and young children being educated about it, the number of cases were reduced exponentially. 

You just never thought that you would be one of the rare, rare cases who would catch it.

Who knew how much time you had left?

<><><>

It was the two and a half years since you had met Hanzo in the archery club.

You and Hanzo were friends. Or, eventually became friends a few months into him helping you. Which is why it was so hard to prevent him from finding out that you had Hanahaki. You played it off as some sickness that you had to deal with in childhood had come to haunt you in your high school years.

Like an idiot, Hanzo believed you.

You honestly were surprised that you had lasted six months and a bit just within the second stage of the disease. But whenever you looked at him, whenever you glanced into those mesmerising dark eyes of his, you felt a pang of sadness in your chest.

And when you coughed up a petal in front of Hanzo, his pupils widened.

"(Y/n)..." He began. " _Who did this to you?_ "

"I-I can explain!" You stammered, closing your eyes. "But I really don't want to reveal who it is yet, not yet. It's too soon."

Hanzo stared at you blankly. He had lost his own mother to the disease. Because she had eventually fallen in love with his father, but his father never saw her as anything but the girl he was forced into marriage with. And when he did fall in love with her, it was too late.

She had died holding Hanzo's younger brother in her arms.

Somewhere deep down, Hanzo actually despised his brother. Despised him for being the child that his father truly cared for. The younger one whom he had turned a blind eye while the elder one was left to be groomed into the future leader of the Shimada Empire. 

"Who did this to you!?" Hanzo snapped, his face inching closer towards yours. "You must tell _me_."

The moment your eyes met his, you scrambled to hold onto something as your coughing fit continued.

This time, the whole flower emerged. Renge escaped your mouth. The petals were coated in a thin layer of saliva and you were gasping for air. It was the whole, but almost broken into pieces. Several creases perforated the immaculate petals of the renge.

You stared at the lotus.

Hanzo glared at you.

If only Hanzo knew.

"You must tell me, (Y/n)," Hanzo scowled. "I can't help you with this unless you tell me which bastard did this to you."

"Why do _you_ want to know _so badly?_ So urgently?" You queried, starting to get irritated at Hanzo being so nosey.

"What? So am I just going to stand here and let you die to this? Or let you throw away your ability to feel just for whoever the bastard is?" He scowled.

"You want to know who? Fine," You growled at the impatient archer. Mustering your courage, you announced: "Shimada Hanzo, you are the one who did this to me."

Time stopped. Hanzo just stared at you in disbelief.

"Me? Me of all people? Surely, you know how dangerous it would be if you ever lived with me." He paced around the room, pondering. His feet making a soft sound on the wooden planks. "Forget about it. Forget about me."

"That's the problem," you smiled. "I can't exactly do that anymore."

"I need time to process this..." hanzo muttered.

"I've already sealed my fate," you sighed. Judging from his reaction, you thought he probably didn't like you back. "From your reaction alone, I'm guessing you don't return my feelings. It's fine. I'll get the surger—"

"No!" Hanzo snapped. "You're still so young. You have so much ahead of you. You're too young to lose your feelings."

You forced yourself to face him. That sudden feeling of a pain in your chest flared up, but you ignored it. Sadly smiling, you spoke: "Then what do you suggest I do...?"

Hanzo shrugged. "I don't know... But I feel like this is all my fault."

"No matter what happens, I love you. I'm glad to have met you, even if it means that you will be the end of me."

"Don't say that."

<><><>

Precisely a few weeks after Hanzo witnessed you cough the Renge flower, he confronted you. Things were a bit awkward for a week or so after you had told Hanzo that you loved him, but you eventually stopped avoiding him and were almost as close as you were before.

"(Y/n), I have something important to tell you," he announced.

"Can you wait a moment, Hanzo? I'm looking for places that offer the surgery— it's actually rather hard to find one that doesn't cost my entire life savings..." You muttered, fingertips typing away at your tablet. Scanning your eyes on the glassy surface. Often coughing, you had a tissue box next to you.

"This is important news, (Y/n)," Hanzo repeated.

You shut your tablet off and gently slid it across the table, moving it away so that it wouldn't be a distraction. "Yes, what is it, Hanzo?"

"(Y/n)," Hanzo began. "I don't know how to say this but—"

You interrupted him with a violent cough. Another flower escaping your mouth. You let out a small sigh before moving your hand to pick up the flower from your couch.

However, Hanzo stopped you. He gently took ahold of your wrist with one hand and used the other to gently tilt your head towards his. "(Y/n), look at me." He whispered.

"What is it, Hanzo?"

"I actually never realised until you brought it up. I got this feeling in my chest whenever I saw you," He smiled at you, the pearly white teeth shining brightly. "I think... I love you too."

You gasped.

Shocked. Surprised. Stunned.

No way... The lucky few who had somehow beaten the odds  and found that 1% probability.

Hanzo snaked up your wrist intertwined his fingers with yours. He gently brought your chin towards his into a soft kiss. His lips were smooth, and you could smell the gentle scent of pink sakurasou from the trees in the gardens of his home.

It wasn't exactly spectacular. You had heard rumours of the first kiss between two lovers as one that sent shivers up your spine. That it seemed like sparks flew. Something that was unforgetable and a treasured memory.

You felt nothing. Something felt wrong. The kiss felt nothing more than a platonical hug. 

But the pain in your chest eased. It felt like that burden had lifted. You were free from the Hanahaki disease. Just in time too, the pain was starting to get unbearable, even with the use of painkillers. Perhaps the first kiss didn't need to be spectacular. Perhaps only the feeling of being loved back was all you needed.

At last, you were free.

For the first time in months, you slept soundly. Your airways finally relaxed. Hanzo decided to stay over since it was a friday and you both fell asleep in each other's arms.

<><><>

When you awoke in late morning, Hanzo was gone, but he left you a note stating that he was needed urgently to oversee a few things but that he would come back later. You yawned and made yourself a cup of your beloved hot beverage, (tea/coffee/hot chocolate). Taking small, frequent sips while reading the news, you felt at peace. But that was broken when  coughing and hacking reappeared.

Maybe you really were down with something on top of the Hanahaki. Stretching up to reach a high cabinet, your fingers fished for medicine. You popped a few medicine pills into your mouth. The drowsy feeling they gave you made your eyelids feel like stone. They were dragging down, and try as you did, you couldn't keep them open. And then, you fell asleep once more.

When you awoke for the second time, you felt an unbearable pain in your chest. It was so bad. It hurt to breathe. You doubled over, staggering towards the sofa and barely making it onto the soft fabric.

There was a knock at your door. You wanted to greet them inside, but the pain prevented you from doing anything. You just lay there, suffering as if a crown of thorns had been lodged into your throat. After a few minutes, you heard the door unlock and someone came inside your apartment. Hanzo had returned.

"H-Hanzo, my chest hurts," You wheezed. Pounding your fist gently into your chest. "It hurts to breathe... Could you please help me get to a clinic? I-Ithink I caught something else... on top of t-the Hanahaki.

Hanzo's expression darkened. He remained silent.

"Hanzo?" You were confused, blinking up at him. "Is something wrong?"

"I really tried to..." He spoke, sitting down beside you with his face buried in his hands. With his voice slightly muffled, he confessed: "I tried to cure it. But in all honesty, (Y/n)..."

"What are you talking about, Hanzo?" You grinned up at him. "I'm cured, aren't I? That's mainly what matters."

Hanzo said nothing.

No, it couldn't be...

Hanzo frowned and placed his hand on your shoulder. His eyes were closed. He seemed... Sad?

"I'm cured... r-right?" Your voice was faltering. You started coughing once more. You squeezed your eyes shut, the pain in your chest hurt so much. It was excruciating.

A long silence followed between the two of you as you coughed out enough flowers to form a bouqet of renge. You found their petals disgusting. The bright and happy colour completely contrasting the foul atmosphere. Their delicate petals were covered in a vile mixture of blood and saliva. The leaves of the flower ripped, soaked with scarlet liquid because of the throat that they had so viciously torn on their passage out.

Stage IV.

It was too late to save you. The surgery would be impossibly risky at this point and that was even if you made it to the hospital emergency room without flatlining.

"You lied to me, didn't you?" You asked Hanzo. Beginning to realise what he had done.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't... w-want to lose y-you." Hanzo finally answered, his voice quivering.

"It's a-alright... I understand," you sighed, voice growing weaker. "You can't just expect someone to immediately... start loving you."

You swear you saw a small watery tear fall from Hanzo's eye. "Just close your eyes, and hopefully you won't feel the pain as badly."

Hanzo wrapped his arms around you. You both knew that you, (Y/n), were doing to die. Some hearts understood each other, even in silence. 

"Hold my hand." Hanzo instructed. You obliged.

"Please stay by my side," you requested. "I don't have much time left..."

"I will."

"M-Maybe..." You coughed. "We will meet once more in our dreams. And Ha-Hanzo, it was never your fault that this happened to me. P-Please don't blame yourself. I could... Never imagine me living a life with no e-emotions ." It took almost every ounce of your energy to speak those final words.

Hanzo's only friend died that day. Despite your words, he felt completely guilty that he had remained unscathed while the only person who cared for him had died. He had lost someone to Hanahaki again, much like in the way he had lost his own mother.

It's not like he didn't care about you. He just never liked you in the same way that you liked him. And that was why people found love a monster.

<><><>

After a decade, even when he had committed the act of murdering his own brother, he came to the graveyard on the anniversary of the death that he couldn't prevent. Despite the coldness of the winter, he beared with it to visit the familiar tombstone.

This day always put him into a foul mood. Not only because of the occasion itself, but because of the depressing weather that always liked to place itself in the middle of winter.

He slowly knelt down and placed a bouquet of Sakurasou alongside Renge. Hanzo sighed and with much difficulty, lit a few incense sticks. He watched the as the incense burned, the gentle scent waft into the air along with the grey wisps of smoke.

After basking in his own guilt, he decided it was time to leave. A single note was left on the tombstone of (L/n) (Y/n).

_**(L/n) (Y/n)** _

_**Like all flowers, one dies, but this beautiful flower's breath was taken too early.** _

 

_I turned back and realised you are not there anymore and that I am all alone. This is all my fault._

**Author's Note:**

> i wonder if this made any sense? heh.  
> oops i'm still trash for this fandom. yes, i'm still very very trash for genji but this time i wrote about hanzo. Since juupiiter wrote a genji one shot so— both shimada brothers? Sorry i know you like genji more  
> so,,, how was my attempt at angst haha?
> 
> oh jesus,,, this was longer than i thought it would be. i just wanted it past the 2k words. this is probably the longest oneshot i have written, though it has many time skils ughhhhhh.
> 
> from my timezone, good night once again. i couldn't sleep until i posted this xd
> 
> translation notes:  
> 〔愛していることを忘れないでいて。〕No matter what, don't forget that I love you ／ aishite iru koto o wasurenaide.  
> 〔 君に出会えてかった。〕I'm glad to have met you ／ kimi ni de aete katta.


End file.
